Talented Camdenton sprinters & hurdlers aiming for more state titles

camdenton-sprinters

By Jordan Burton (For OzarksSportsZone.com)

In football, there are Hail Marys.
In basketball, there are buzzer-beaters.
In baseball, there are walk-offs.
And, in soccer, there are shootouts.

Track and field wasn’t blessed with the dramatic, game-winning equivalent, but don’t tell that to the people of Camdenton.

In a school known for its football prowess, Grace Wormek, Kylie Meier, Natalie Basham, Katheryne Blackman and Clare Holmes made history by winning the Class 4 team state title in dramatic fashion.

Trailing M.I.C.D.S. by five (52-47) – which had also qualified for the 4×400-meter finals – Camdenton needed a clutch Kobe-like performance from Basham, Holmes, Workmek and Meier.

The girls turned in a 3:59.64, making them the only 4×400 relay team in the Ozarks to crack the four-minute mark. M.I.C.D.S. took eighth in the event and finished sixth in javelin, giving the Lady Lakers a 57-56 edge and Camdenton its first-ever state championship in a girls’ sport.

“I tried to shelter them from any pressure, although I think they all knew what we needed,” said Camdenton coach John McNabb. “All I really said was we needed their best performance and all the points we could get. Obviously, they were up to the challenge.”

Camdenton earning a state championship is impressive, even more so when you consider that only five athletes made the trip to Jefferson City, but the Lady Lakers proved that sometimes less is more.

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Wormek, Meier, Basham, Blackman and Holmes played in a collective 13 sports in 2016-17 with all five being multisport athletes. It was further proof that specialization isn’t always the way. Current seniors Workmek and Meier, as well as junior Basham, played a role in all 57 points.

Call them the Big Three.
Call them the Tonka Park Triplets.
Call them the Tri-Lake(rs).

But they’re back and ready to defend their title.

McNabb maintains that the group has an interesting dynamic.

“Grace is the most vocal of the group, kind of the team talker,” said McNabb. “Kylie has a lot of energy; she is always pacing. Natalie is quiet but focused. They are all intense competitors.”

During the summer they spend their days at the lake or working out for any of the many sports they play. It’s also said they can be spotted on an odyssey in Wormek’s jeep.

“I would describe us as a fun, social and athletic group of gals,” said Basham.

Different strokes for different folks, but all three are wildly successful at what they do.

Workmek posted the area’s top times in the 100- and 200-meter dashes but is likely to transition into a 400-meter sprinter in 2018. Meier has won back-to-back 300-meter hurdle state titles, and Basham is the reigning 100-meter hurdle champion. They also make up three of the four legs in Camdenton’s 800- and 1600-meter relay teams, both of which recorded the fastest time in the Ozarks last season.

“Obviously they are all talented athletes,” said McNabb. “I think they recognize that they are looked at by their teammates as leaders and need to provide an example for everyone else. They have their individual events where they know it’s all on them, but they are also three-quarters of two relay teams. Each goes about their business in a different way, but they are driven to be the best and are competitive in all they do, in meets or practice.”

Practices for Meier and Basham are more competitive than most meets.

Each took home an individual state championship last spring but also finished top-four in the other hurdle event.

Pushing each other every day in practice has become a point of emphasis for the girls and a major reason they are two of the most complete hurdlers in Missouri, having the ability to compete at an elite level regardless of the distance.

“I wouldn’t be where I am now without training by Natalie’s side every day,” said Meier. “Her and I’s competitive drive fuel each other to never take a day off and always be giving it 100 percent. We are in all the same events, so I don’t do anything she doesn’t do and vice versa, so it’s great that we can be pushing each other to get better in every still we do.”

Now, all three return to Camdenton with a chance to seal their legacy with a second consecutive Class 4 state championship, a potential feat that none of them takes lightly. It’s almost fitting that the trio has found the ultimate success in track, an avenue that celebrates individuality but also forges a team bond.

McNabb believes they’ve changed the face of Camdenton track for good. In his 42 years at Camdenton and three decades coaching track, this is the most dynamic group he’s had. And that recent success has helped create a buzz around the program that could see a spike in overall participation.

All three acknowledge that there will be a bull’s-eye on their back in every single meet they attend, but there are few groups more prepared to shoulder that expectation than Camdenton’s core.

“The pressure is definitely on,” said Wormek. “We have two state-champion hurdlers and a state-champion 4×400. None of us graduated. People will be expecting big things from us this year. I do not think we will fall short. Between the three of us there are no bad days. We treat every track meet as if it’s our chance at state, and I think that’s a big part of how we achieved the title last year. Personally, I would love to win another state championship. That was fun. I think we perform our best under pressure, and I believe this upcoming season we will have more girls at state and score more points.”

Classmate Meier agreed. Nothing would be more special than capping their senior year with back-to-back state championships.

“Winning another state championship would just be icing on top of the cake to me,” said Meier. “Being there and competing and giving it all I have is what I love to do. To get another state championship would be more than amazing because we have made ourselves known, and I love that we are putting Camdenton back on the map as a legitimate and lethal track program.”

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